By Don Heckman

A few days ago, my good friend David Paulsen sent me The Real Big Lebowski Wants Your Vote, a video he’d produced about the upcoming Presidential election. The video features the wonderful actor David Huddleston, who portrays the title role in the Coen Brothers’ brilliantly funny motion picture, The Big Lebowski.

Although the video was inspired to some extent by the film, it is a very unique item on its own. “Mr. Huddleston,” says Paulsen, “who is also known for his fine work in Blazing Saddles, Santa Clause The Movie and The Producers, as well as hundreds of other films and television shows, is the only connection we, who put this video together, have with the Coen Brothers’ hilarious film.”

As soon as I screened The Real Big Lebowski Wants Your Vote, I knew we had to let our thousands of readers see it. Why? Do politics and elections have anything to do with music and musicians? The answer is a resounding ‘yes.” Of course they do. Composers, singers and musicians all suffer from the same faltering economy that affects everyone. And they are vividly aware that the results of the Presidential election of Nov. 6, 2012 will have a profound impact upon their lives (along with the lives of millions of other folks – and not just Americans).

Today, as voters await tonight’s broadcast of this election’s second debate – this time between Vice-Presidential candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan – seemed like the perfect time to begin to link our iRoM readers (and others) to this humorously sardonic and informative video.

The Real Big Lebowski Wants Your Vote was produced by David Paulsen and Bill Gladden with the technical participation of Brian Roberts, Bill Pryor and a group of students from Santa Fe’s Community College. Paulsen, the former Producer, Writer and Director of the American TV series Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing and Dangerous Curves, wrote and directed; Bill Gladden of IceFire Media composed the music and sings the song.

“The Real Big Lebowski is a political parody rendered under fair use,” says David, the video’s producer and writer. “It is meant solely as social commentary, criticism and personal expression. Its character and purpose is informational, noncommercial and not-for-profit. It is NOT for sale. Those who have participated have worked for nothing. None of us will earn a dime.

“Our sole goal is to encourage people – especially those with a Democratic bent – to watch the video, listen closely to its message, and get out and vote this coming November 6.“